Changes coming to Student Government

The Student Government Association(SGA) is looking to make some changes this year, including policies relating to weapons and dancing.

Firearms have wreaked havoc on schools, most notably Virginia Tech. Senator and co-sponsor of the concealed weapons bill, Craig Storrs said there is nothing stopping the same thing from happening at Liberty University.

“My thought is, what’s stopping someone from snapping and coming onto campus to do harm here,” Storrs said.

Senator Taylor Rose agrees that carrying firearms would make campus safer. He believes it would help the Liberty University Police Department keep campus safe.

“Major state universities already allow their college students to carry on campus,” Storrs said. Even colleges as close as Blue Ridge, Va., he added.

Colleges in Utah are prohibited from banning weapons on-campus.

“In schools that do allow concealed carry, there have never been any instances where a student has seriously violated the rules, where a person has been seriously injured or lost their lives,” Rose said.

“It’s a basic second amendment right,” Storrs said.

According to the bill, students would need to inform the LUPD if they wanted to carry. Weapons would also have to be properly secured in dorms.

While not as serious as carrying firearms, dancing has traditionally been a banned activity for Liberty students. A new bill could change that, giving students a dancing outlet on campus.

Rose opposes the dancing regulations bill, saying Liberty needs to hold fast to its standards. He believes a weakening of standards is already evident in the dress code.

“We allowed relaxation of those rules now we have students running around, not abiding by the rules at all,” Rose said.

“Dances like salsa dancing or ballroom, those are intended to enrich a person’s cultural experience, to enrich their knowledge,” Storrs said. He does not think there a good reason why dancing, with the proper guidelines, should not be allowed.

The bill recommends only certain types of dancing, including classical ballet, salsa dancing, ministry-based dancing or non-offensive cultural and ethnic dances should be allowed. All dances or dancing classes would need to be approved by the Office of Student Conduct.

Both the concealed weapon and dancing regulations bills are waiting to be approved by Liberty’s administration.

The SGA has also adopted changes to its constitution. “The legislative process has been changed so bills go before the senate,” SGA president Bethany Davis said. This makes it so students are able to vote on issues as well as the executive councils.

Another significant change pertains to the vice presidents of the SGA. Previously, there have been two beneath the president. Now there will be one vice president and a speaker of the Senate, Davis said.

Students will also have a chance to be involved with the establishment of hall senators.

“Every single hall on campus is going to have a representative, and they can inform all the students on their hall,” Davis said.